01 November 2023 , 15:26
849
0
Netflix has kicked off the month with a fascinating new true crime documentary Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom, which examines one of the most bizarre and chilling murder trials in American history.
Did Jens Soering murder his girlfriend's parents - Nancy and Derek Haysom in 1985 - or was she the killer? This docuseries features interviews with Soering, who was convicted of the killings, as well as investigators and true crime experts. It aims to explore whether Elizabeth Haysom had a bigger role in the crime than she admitted. The brutal incident, where both victims had their throats cut and suffered multiple stab wounds, happened in Lynchburg, Virginia, and led to a police chase that saw Soering and Haysom escape to England. The couple were later arrested on fraud-related charges before eventually being linked to the double murders.
Who is Jens Soering?
He's the son of a German diplomat and was a student at the University of Virginia. He was dating Elizabeth Haysom when her parents, Derek and Nancy, were found brutally murdered in their Virginia home in 1985. After the crime, Soering and Haysom ran away to the UK before being sent back to the US for trial.
Soering confessed to the murders during police questioning but has since maintained his innocence. In 1990, he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, while Haysom was convicted of being an accessory before the fact to murder. In November 2019, after spending 33 years in jail, Soering was paroled and sent back to his home country, Germany. He insists that Haysom committed the murders, but his plea for a pardon was turned down.
Upon arriving in Frankfurt, as reported by CBS19 News, Soering expressed: "I'm so happy to be in Germany after 33 years in prison in the United States, I'm so grateful to all my German supporters and my American supporters as well. I've had wonderful friends in America, a lot of them police officers, and that's why I'm here. So many police officers came forward, investigated this case, found out the truth and let me go and I'm so grateful to them as well."
Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
What about Elizabeth Haysom?
Haysom was only 18 when her parents were murdered. She pleaded guilty to two counts of accessory before the fact to murder in 1987 and was given a 90-year prison sentence. After serving 32 years, she was released in 2019 and extradited to Canada. Her current location is unknown and she does not appear in the Netflix documentary.
Episode breakdown
A Love Story - On April 3, 1985, police discover a horrific blood-soaked crime scene at the Haysom home outside Lynchburg, Virginia, and begin to investigate.
Liz - While Jens fights extradition, Elizabeth's testimony in court characterises him as the cold, calculating mastermind behind her parents' deaths.
Jens - During his 1990 trial in Virginia, Jens recants his previous confessions and unfolds a new story of the murders before Elizabeth takes the stand again.
Linked Forever - With both ex-lovers in prison, Jens begins a campaign to gain his freedom. Today, puzzling questions — and the crime's long shadow — still linger.
Till Murder Do Us Part is available to watch now on Netflix.
Have you watched Till Murder Do Us Part yet? What did you make of it? Let us know in the comments